WO2015042670A1

WO2015042670A1 - A device for transportation of condense by steam

Info

Publication number: WO2015042670A1
Application number: PCT/BG2013/000045
Authority: WO
Inventors: Boyan Kalov
Original assignee: Top Novelty Ltd
Priority date: 2013-09-25
Filing date: 2013-09-25
Publication date: 2015-04-02
Also published as: EP3049678A1; EP3049678A4; EP3049678B1

Abstract

The present invention relates to a device for transportation of condense by steam. According to the invention inside the vessel (1) a pilot mechanism (2) with two volume float (3) is installed. The upper volume (4) of the float ensures positive buoyancy. The change of the level of the condense inside the vessel moves the float in vertical direction that switches the pilot mechanism to allow or stop the steam income. The pilot mechanism provides or stops providing steam income to the main valves' mechanism (5), that simultaneously opens the main inlet valve and closes the main outlet valve for discharging, or closes the main inlet valve (6) and opens the main outlet valve (7) for filling, depending on the position of the float. The vessel is fed with condense through inlet check valve (8). Condense is discharged through outlet check valve (9). The proposed device ensures smooth and automatic transport of condense.

Description

A DEVICE FOR TRANSPORTATION OF CONDENSE BY STEAM

DESCRIPTION

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001 ] The present device for transportation of condense by steam, according to the invention, could find application in different technical fields, where transportation of water, water solutions, liquid chemicals or condense have to be transported through pipelines and if steam is available in the site. This device could be used with compressed air instead of steam if compressed air is available.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] From the prior state of the art is known the transportation of liquids by electrical or mechanical operated pumps or by steam or compressed air operated pumps.

[0003] In most cases the availability of steam or compressed air on the sites determines as more profitable the usage of methods and devices for transportation using steam or compressed air to operate.

[0004] The most widely used device for transportation is by pushing the liquid by compressed air or steam. The liquid to be transported has fulfilled a vessel to a determined level. The compressed air or steam acts upon the surface of the liquid with a definite pressure. After the determined volume of liquid is transported the pressure on the surface of the remaining liquid drops down to atmospheric, that allows new liquid to enter the vessel. When the level of the liquid reaches a definite value, compressed air or steam feed the vessel and the cycle is repeated.

[0005] The known device for transportation of condense of "Armstrong" Int. USA and "Spirax Sarco" USA represents a closed vessel with inlet and outlet for the transported condense and inlet and outlet for the compressed air or steam. Inside the closed vessel a spring assisted float mechanism is mounted. The mechanism is used for automation of the process of feeding and discharging of the liquid and switches two valves-inlet and outlet valve for compressed air or steam. The spring assisted float mechanism is designed to operate the outlet valve and the inlet valve simultaneously.

[0006] At the beginning of the process the outlet valve is opened and the inlet valve is closed. The condense enters the vessel gravitationally through a check valve, rises the float and the corresponding air is evacuated through the outlet valve. When the position of the float reaches the point corresponding to the determined highest level of the liquid, the spring assisted float mechanism reverses the positions of the valves simultaneously. The compressed air or steam enters the vessel and the liquid is transported through the outlet check valve into the corresponding pipeline. While the liquid is transported the float lowers its positions until it passes its trip point corresponding to a determined low level of the liquid and the spring assisted float mechanism reverses the positions of the valves simultaneously and the whole cycle is repeated. The strength of spring material is dependent of the chemical structure of the liquid. That shortens the exploitation cycle of the devices and raises the cost of transportation of the liquid. The spring assisted mechanism works by hits that leads to relatively fast wear and tire of the mechanism.

[0007] According to the EP1841968B1 a device for transportation of liquids by compressed gas or steam is known, which consists of a vessel in which at least two variable gas volumes V1 , V2 are formed. The level of the liquid in the two volumes changes and the switching of the processes of feeding and discharging is made by the created pressure difference between the gas volumes. Inside the device a second volume is formed by providing a cylinder with opened bottom. A tube with an inside valve are installed in the cylinder. The movement of valves is sincronized and depends on the position of the cylinder.

[0008] The cylinder is movable between upper and lower position in the closed vessel. The cylinder has positive buoyancy in the liquid to be pumped. Valve means operated by movement of cylinder is provided to cause gas admitted to the cylinder to displace liquid there from, when the cylinder is in its upper position and to permit gas to escape from the cylinder when the latter is in its lower position. This device ensures smooth switching process, but if using steam to power it, the size of the lower volume of the float should be at least one half of the volume of the vessel in order to avoid the steam condensation and device malfunction in the process of pumping. The great size of the float rises the production price of the device

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

[0009] The present invention has for an object to provide an alternative device for transportation of liquids by steam or compressed air based on the use of pilot switching mechanism. The usage of the small size pilot mechanism universal for all sizes of the device with float designed to evacuate the excess steam instead of individual mechanisms for every size, lowers substantially the production price of the device.

[0010] The device for transportation of liquids by compressed air or steam (Fig. ) consists of a closed vessel (1 ) with inlet (8) and outlet (9) for the transported liquid; with inlet (6) and outlet (7) for steam for the vessel and inlet (10) for steam for the pilot mechanism .

[0011 ] Inside the closed vessel (1 ) a pilot mechanism (2) with two volume float (3) is installed. In a chamber in the vessel's cap, below the the inlet valve of the pilot mechanism for the compressed gas or steam two pipelines are provided. The first pipeline (11 ) ends inside the bellow of the main valves mechanism. The other pipeline (12) ends both inside the lower volume of the float (13) and inside the supporting valve (14) of the pilot mechanism. The float is free to move in vertical direction.

[0012] According to the invention (Fig.1 ) the main valves mechanism (5) consists of an inlet main valve (6), outlet main valve (7), main valves' support (15) with spring (16), main valves' case (17) and main valves' bellow (18). The main valves' case is installed on the vessel's cap (19) and the inner volume of the case is connected to the inner volume of the vessel by an opening (20) in the vessel's cap. The main inlet valve and the main outlet valve bodies are installed on the upper part of the case in parallel and the main valves' support with spring is installed under the valves' bodies and firmly connected to the flat upper part of the bellow. The bellow of the main valves' mechanism is installed in a whole in the vessel's cap.

[0013] According to the invention (Fig.1 ) the float is designed with two separate volumes. The upper volume (4) is closed and the lower volume is with opened bottom and its upper part is connected with the vessel's volume by a tube (24) through the upper volume ending with valve (23). The float is equipped with an additional tube (25) connecting the lower part of the lower volume with the vessel's volume passing through the upper volume.

[0014] According to the invention (Fig.1 ) the tube (12) is bearing inside the tube (24) of the float, allowing vertical movement of the float

[0015] According to the invention (Fig.1 ) in the common case the condense to be transported enters gravitationally the vessel through the inlet check valve (8) and fills simultaneously the vessel and the lover volume of the float and the air or steam inside the cylindrical volume is evacuated through the opened outlet valve (7) until the level reaches the lower opening of the tube (24). Because of the positive buoyancy of the float in the condense to be pumped, the further entering of condense moves the float upwards and because of its vertical movement the lever (22) connected to it lifts the rod (21 ), that starts opening the ball inlet valve (10) and closing the supporting valve (14) of the pilot mechanism simultaneously. The inlet valve transmits steam through the tube (12) both to the still opened supporting valve (14). That steam enters the inside of the vessel (1 ) without rising the pressure in it because of the opened main outlet valve (7). The continuing raise of the condense level lifts the float additionally and causes fully opening of the inlet valve (10) for steam and simultaneous closing of the support valve (14). The inlet valve is now fully opened and the supporting valve- fully closed. The opened inlet valve transmits steam through the tube (11 ) inside the bellow (18) of the main valves' mechanism (5), which causes rise of the pressure inside the bellow. This higher pressure makes the bellow to extend and moves the main valves support (16) upwards that opens the main inlet valve (6) and closes the main outlet valve (7) simultaneously. The process of filling the vessel is ended and the process of discharging starts.

[0016] According to the invention (Fig.1 ) in parallel with the simultaneous opening of the inlet valve and closing of the main outlet valve steam enters the lower volume of the float through tube 12 and the level of the condense inside the lower volume of the float also drops until it reaches the level of the lower opening of the additional tube (25). When this level is reached the excessive gas or steam is evacuated from the lower volume of the float through the tube (25) and this way the condensation of steam because of passing through condense is avoided.

[0017] The pressure inside the vessel rises, which makes the inlet check valve (8) to close and the outlet check valve (9) to open. The liquid inside the vessel is evacuated through check valve (9) and its level inside the vessel drops. In consequence of the pressure equalization inside and outside the float and because of the closed inside valve (23), the cylinder stays in upper position till the moment the liquid level drops to its lower edge and both steam volumes inside the vessel and inside the lower volume of the float start connecting in the down part of the float. Then the installed in the cylinder valve (23) starts opening and the cylinder drops down because of its own weight. The lever mechanism doesn't move because the support valve (14) holds the rod (21 ) in upper position. The additional drop of the float opens the valve (23) fully and the lever mechanism moves downwards because the united force of the ball on the inlet valve stem and of the weight of the float becomes higher than the force acting of the supporting valve. This causes simultaneous closing of the inlet valve of the pilot mechanism and opening of the supporting valve. When the inlet valve of the pilot mechanism is fully closed and the support valve fully opened the pressure inside the bellow (18) of the main valves' mechanism drops. The bellow shrinks by the force of the stem of the main inlet valve and by the force of the spring (26) of the main valves' support. This causes the main valves' support to move, simultaneously opening the main outlet valve (7) and closing the main inlet valve (6). The pressure inside the vessel drops to atmospheric and the process of discharging is ended and the process of filling starts. The device is ready to resume the whole process if condense to enter is available.

[0018] The device for transportation of liquid by steam according to the invention realizes discharging of the condense and ensures smooth and automatic operation during the whole cycle by the use of pilot mechanism causing synchronized movement of the main valves based on the condense level inside the vessel.

[0019] According to a preferable embodiment (Fig.2) of the device the lever system of the pilot mechanism is designed connected with ball inlet valve. The rod (21 ) lifting the ball is firmly connected with supporting valve (14). The rod and the supporting valve are on one and the same axis. The lever (22) is bearing both with the rod and the valve (23) in bedded in the float (3), so that to allow the float to open and close the ball inlet valve and respectively to close and open the supporting valve depending on float's position.

[0020] According to a preferable embodiment (Fig.2) the ball inlet valve (10) of the pilot mechanism is installed on the vessel's cap (19) and the main valves' case (17) is welded to the vessels cap.

[0021] According to a preferable embodiment (Fig.2) the main valves mechanism (5) is designed with ball inlet main valve (6) and outlet main valve (7) in parallel with the inlet main valve, both connected in their down part to main valves' support (15) with spring (16), that allows only vertical movement of the main valves caused by the expanding /shrinking of the bellow (18) installed in a whole in the vessel's cap 19.

[0022] According to a preferable embodiment (Fig.2) the float is designed as two volumes cylinder. The upper volume (4) is welded and the lower volume is with opened bottom. A tube (24) through the upper volume ending with valve (23) and tube (25) connecting the lower part of the lower volume with the vessel's volume passing through the upper volume are welded to both elliptical bottoms of the closed volume (4).

[0023] The proposed device according to the invention for transportation of fluids is provided with universal construction of the pilot mechanism for all output sizes of the device, that makes the device easier to produce and maintain.

[0024] The proposed device ensures possibility for smooth switching, respectively for diminishing the wear-and-tire and prolonging the exploitation of the inlet and outlet valves and at the same time the problem element - the spring float mechanism for operation of top and down level with numerous hinge joints is evaded.

[0025] The proposed device ensures wide range of discharge rates retaining the pilot valve mechanism by changing only the main valves' mechanism and the vessel size;

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

[0026] (Fig. 1 ) - device for transportation of condense by steam

1 - vessel (1 )

2 - pilot mechanism

3 - two volume float

4 - upper volume of the float

5 - main valves' mechanism

6 - main inlet valve

7 - main outlet valve

8 - inlet check valve

9 - outlet check valve

10 - inlet for steam for the pilot mechanism

11 - pipeline to bellow

12 - pipeline to float

3 - lower volume of the float

14 - supporting valve of the pilot mechanism

15 - main valves' support

16 - spring for main valves' support

17 - main valves' case

18 - main valves' bellow

19 - vessel's cap

20 - opening in vessel's cap

21 - rod

22 - lever 3 - valve in-bedded in the float

24 - connecting tube in the float

25 - tube for excessive steam evacuation

[0027] (Fig. 2) Preferable Embodiment of Device for Transportation of Condense by steam

1 - vessel (1 )

2 - pilot mechanism

3 - two volume float

4 - upper volume of the float

5 - main valves' mechanism

6 - main inlet valve

7 - main outlet valve

8 - inlet check valve

9 - outlet check valve

10 - inlet for steam for the pilot mechanism

11 - pipeline to bellow

12 - pipeline to float

13 - lower volume of the float

14 - supporting valve of the pilot mechanism

15 - main valves' support

16 - spring for main valves' support

17 - main valves' case

18 - main valves' bellow

19 - vessel's cap

20 - opening in vessel's cap

21 - rod

22 - lever

23 - valve in-bedded in the float

24 - connecting tube in the float

25 - tube for excessive steam evacuation

Claims

1 . A device for transportation condense by steam including a closed vessel (1 ) with inlet and outlet for the condense respectively with inlet check valve (6) and outlet check valve (7), with inlet and outlet for steam characterizing with pilot mechanism, main valves' mechanism, two volume float with in bedded valve and tube connections from the pilot mechanism to the main valves' mechanism and from the pilot mechanism to the lower volume of the float.

2. The device according to claim 1 , characterizing with that the pilot mechanism consists of inlet steam valve, supporting valve, rod for opening/closing the inlet valve and lever bearing with the rod and the valve in-bedded in the float.

3. The device according to any claim 1 or 2, characterizing with that the supporting valve of the pilot mechanism if in closed position powered by the pressure holds the inlet valve in open position untill the additional force of the weight of the float opens it.

4. The device according to any claim 1 , 2 or 3 characterizing with that the pilot valve provides or stops providing steam to the bellow of the main valves mechanism to switch simultaneously the main valves for the process of filling or discharging

5. The device according to any claim 1 , 2, 3 or 4 characterizing with that the float is equiped with a verticl tube connecting the lower part of its lower volume to the vessels volume to evacuate the excessive steam in the proces of discharging of condense.